SUMMARY:
Estimates may vary, but it is hard to argue with the simple truth - millions of Americans have halitosis. Up to 90 million people in the U.S. have bad breath, according to CNN.

Posted: February 15, 2011

Estimates may vary, but it is hard to argue with the simple truth - millions of Americans have halitosis. Up to 90 million people in the U.S. have bad breath, according to CNN.

It is a condition that is easy to ignore. After all, how do you know you have a problem if you haven't been told you do? According to the news provider, many people with even the most powerful breath are rarely, if ever, told that they have oral odor.

Social taboos often keep strangers from speaking up, even though they may never see you again. Family and friends can be similarly unreliable if not more so, and for a similar reason. They simply don't want to hurt your feelings.

If you believe it's unlikely that you have bad breath, consider thinking twice. CNN's estimate means that you have roughly a one in three chance of suffering from halitosis. Other sources offer similarly bad odds for bad breath.

The University of Buffalo has estimated that one in four adults has oral odor, a figure that jumps up to one in two when considering elderly Americans. The young aren't exempt, however. A study of 20-year-old men, which was published in the Journal of periodontology, found that one in five has halitosis.

Ignoring the problem is not the best way to deal with it. Instead, using a simple regimen that includes toothpaste, floss and a specialty breath freshener may be able to clear away halitosis, regardless of whether anyone has told you it is there.